Process for treating petroleum emulsions



Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED S .111; a

MELVIN GROOTE, OF ST. LOUIS, AND

WILBU'R o. ADAMS, or UNIVERSITY CITY,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO WM. S. BARNICKEL & COMPANY, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

PROCESS JEOR TREATING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS.

no nrawin Application filed October This invention relates'to the treatment of emulsions ofmineral oil and water, such as petroleum emulsions, for the purpose of separating the oil from the water. c Petroleum emulsions are of the water-in- 011 type and comprise fine droplets of natural occurring waters or brines dispersed in a more or less permanent state through out the oil whichconstitutes the continuous phase of the emulsion. They are obtained from producing Wells and from the bottom of oil storage tanks and are commonly referred toas' cut oil, roily oil, (emulsified oil andbottom settlings.

The object of our invention is to, pro- 'vlde a novel and inexpensive process for separating emulsions of the character referred to into their component parts of oil and water or brine.

Briefly described, our 'process consists in subjecting a petroleum emulsion to the actlon of a condensation productcontaining a poly-cyclic, aromatic and a soap-forming material, together with a sulphonic group or grou s, in such a manner that the emulsion will break and separate into its component parts of oil and water or-brine when the emulsion is permitted to remain in a quiescent- .state after treatment.

In practising our process a treating agent of the'kind mentioned is brought into contact with the emulsion either by introducing the treating agent into 'a well in which a petroleum emulsion is being produced; in

3'6 troducing the treating agent into a conduit through which a petroleum emulsion is flow;

ing;-introducing the treating agent into a tank in which a petroleum emulsion is v stored, or introducing the treating agent in- 40 to a container that holds a sludge obtained from the bottom of an oil; storage tank. The treating agent can even be introduced into a producing well in such a way that it will become mixed with water and oil that is t5 emerging from the ground before said water and oil enter the barrel of the well pump, or the tubing up through which said water and oil flow to the surface of the ground.

After treatment the emulsion is allowed. to

stand in a quiescent state at a suitable temperature so as to permit the water or brine to separate from the oil, or it may be passed through a variety of apparatus, such as hay tanks, gun barrels, etc., such; as are now 1, 1925. Serial No. 59,953.

commonly used in the operation of breaking petroleum emulsions. It may even be passed through a centrifugal or electrical dehydrator. i u

I The specific class of poly-cyclic derivativeswhich We contemplate using are those containing a sulphonic'group in one or more of the poly cyclic rings or connected to, the poly-cyclic rings through an intermediate radical, such as a hydrocarbon chain. Ben- .zene is the basis of mono-cyclic chemistry. By the expression poly-cyclic bodies, we desire to use the usually. accepted terminology to denote aromatic hydrocarbonsin which there is more than one ring. Therefore, in a general Way, these compounds inelude the derivatives of naphthalene, an-

thracene and naphthacene, but we wish it to be' understood that our process contemplates the use of organic derivatives in which pol'ycyclic radicals are connected directly or indirectly with the sulphonic group or the salt I or ester of a sulphonic group. We also wish it to be understood that our process is not limited to the use of derivatives obtained by a. sulphonating action on the hydrocarbons themselvs,.-for the action may take place on the hydroxy-derivatives, such as d1-hydroxy-anthrace'ne, or on the halogen derivatives, such as chloro-nap'hthalene, or on the nitro-derivatives, such as nitro-naphthalene. We have not found it necessary that the sulphonic group be connected directly with the aromatic hydrocarbon or its derivatives.

The sulphonic group can be introduced into hydrocarbon then joined with the aromatic hydrocarbon. For instance, ricinoleic-acid can be 'sulphonated to give sulpho-ricinoleic acid. This material can be esterified with beta naphthol, thus giving beta naphthol, sulpho-ricmoleate. Hence, the class of materials contemplated by our process may be cons1d ered as those having a poly-cyclic, aromatlc hydrocarbon or its derivatives and one or more sulphonic groups, or the salts or esters 10" of the sulphonic groups, and together with an organic, detergent forming material.

There are certain organic groups which are recognized as being capable of forming detergents. These groups include the fats 1 and fatty acids, the rosins and similar bodies, the petroleum acids, such as naphthenic acids and modifications of this same v the parent group. In using our process compounds containingpoly-cyclic, aromatic ydrocarbons, and one or more of these,

organic detergent groups together with the sulphonic group are used. Specific examples are naphthalene sulpho-ricinoleate, previously described, sulpho-hydroxyanthracene resinate, sulpho-naphthalene naphthenate, and naphthalene sulphonaphthenate: In other Words, the class of materials contemplated'by our process consists of amolecule containing a poly-cyclic, aromatic or its derivatives, an organic detergent group and a sulphonic group or groups. It is to be understpod, of course, that ordinarily we prefer to use the'salts, water soluble or water insoluble, or the esters of the molecule, rather than any corrosive acid.

'we claim as new and Letters Patent is:

1. A process for treating petroleumiemuL sions, characterized by subjecting the emulsion to the action of a treating agent-.:con-

desire to secure by 'sisting' of a condensation product containinga poly-cyclic, aromatic group, an organic sulphonic group.

2. A process for treating petroleum emul- 'si0ns',:;characterized by subjecting the emulision to the. action of a treating agent conisist ingof a condensation product containing a poly-cyclic, aromatic and afatty material, together with a sulphonic group.

- MELVIN DE GROOTE.

WILBUR o. ruinous.

detergent-forming group, together with a j -which bear-simple genetic relationships to Having thus described our invention, what 20' 

